Chapter 2They Celebrated the Wrong Daughter

When we got off the train, Wesley walked ahead, pulling Cassidy's suitcase behind him.

I followed several steps back until we reached the crowded elevator near the exit.

The second I stepped inside, the elevator hit capacity. Cassidy was still standing outside.

Wesley shoved my suitcase back out with his foot, then reached over and pulled Cassidy into the elevator in my place.

"Daph, your suitcase is huge. It's taking up too much room. Just take the next elevator. We'll wait for you by the exit."

Before I could respond, the doors slid shut.

I stood there alone as a high-speed train roared past. The blast of wind hit my face, cold enough to sink straight into my chest.

By the time I made it to the station exit, neither of them was there. My parents, who were supposed to pick us up, were gone as well.

The summer weather turned without warning. Rain started coming down hard, growing heavier by the minute.

I didn't have an umbrella, so I huddled beneath the station awning and called my parents. It took half an hour before someone finally answered.

Dad sounded startled. "Daph? You're not in the car? I'm so sorry. Everything was so hectic, I thought you'd already gotten in."

Mom grabbed the phone from him and began scolding him. "This is all your dad's fault! He never pays attention. We're almost home now, so just get a cab."

I stared out at the rain pouring down in sheets, my vision blurring behind the curtain of water.

There had been four people in the car, but not one of them thought that someone was missing.

At some point, I had become invisible to my own family.

The newly built train station was far outside the city, and cabs rarely came this way. Night had already fallen by the time I finally managed to flag down a driver who had just dropped someone off.

When he saw me soaked from head to toe, he pulled a towel from the glove compartment and handed it over.

"Here, kid. Dry yourself off before you get sick. This is the hardest place in town to find a cab. Why didn't your family come get you?"

My eyes began to sting again. I lowered my head and shook it.

They had come, just not for me.

On the ride home, I saw Dad's latest social media post.

[Tyler, you can rest easy. Our daughter made us proud.]

My fingers tightened around my phone as pain tore through my chest.

The photo showed the four of them smiling outside the station. Cassidy stood beside Wesley with a bright bouquet of sunflowers in her arms, her favorite.

There was no bouquet for me. Maybe there had never been one to begin with.

Cassidy was the daughter of one of Dad's fallen comrades. After her father died, Dad brought her into our home.

To help her settle in, he gave her the best of everything. Little by little, his own daughter became the one who was never good enough.

By the time I walked through the front door, everyone had finished dinner and was eating fruit. Their easy laughter made them look like the perfect family.

Dad scooped out the sweetest piece from the center of a watermelon and handed it to Cassidy.

"Here. It's the sweetest. I chilled it just for you."

Wesley sliced a few strawberries and placed them in her bowl. "You've had a long few days. Eat some more."

Somewhere along the way, the sweetest piece of watermelon and the sliced strawberries had stopped ending up in my bowl.

Cassidy stood and came over to me. She took my suitcase, then gently tried to lead me toward the dining table.

"Sorry, Daphne. I walked too fast. Please don't be mad."

My chest tightened. My legs felt impossibly heavy, as though they had been filled with lead.

I pulled my hand away.

As I headed upstairs, Dad's voice followed me.

"Cass, don't take it personally. We've spoiled Daph too much. I wish she were half as considerate as you."

I used the last of my strength to shut my bedroom door.

My entire body was burning. Being caught in the rain had left me with a high fever, but no one came to check on me that night.

No one asked whether I was cold or hungry.

Then, my phone lit up with a new message.

For one brief second, hope stirred inside me.

[Daph, your dad is right. We've let you get away with too much for too long. Starting tomorrow, we're cutting off your allowance. You need to learn from Cassidy. How are we supposed to trust you to handle college on your own otherwise?]

That last flicker of hope went out.

I sank to the floor and curled in on myself, completely drained, with nothing left to fight for.